Biography

Ava Knighten Santana (born Kathryn Elizabeth Knighten, August 15, 1983, in Miami, Florida) is an American actress, director, and producer of Cuban, English, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, African, French, and Cherokee descent, 5′ 7″ (170 cm) tall. She adopted her professional surname after her Cuban grandmother. An honors student, she attended St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, and holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree, with additional study in Sustainable Community Development at Prescott College. A SAG-AFTRA member and vegetarian, she worked as a fundraiser for NRDC, PETA, Greenpeace, and the World Wildlife Fund before stepping away from the entertainment industry to pursue a life centered on nature and the outdoors. Her most notable film credits include Tammi in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008, with John Cho and Kal Penn), Elise Freeman in Wrong Side of Town (2010, Lionsgate/Sony), a zombie in Planet Terror (2007, part of Grindhouse), President Camacho's Groupie in Idiocracy (2006, uncredited), Chloe in The Mortician (2011), Ashley Swan in Outtake Reel (2011), and Young Entertainment Journalist in Shock and Awe (2017). On television she appeared as Chastity in Friday Night Lights (2008, 1 episode). She directed Bridget & Beau (2015) and The Adventures of Lily Knight (2017), and also appeared in Man of the House (2005, with Tommy Lee Jones), The Ringer (2005, with Johnny Knoxville), Elvis and Anabelle (2007, with Dakota Fanning), and The Last of Robin Hood (2013).